Constitution

Part II · Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy · Fundamental Rights

Freedom of speech, etc

Article 19

Amended by 4th Amendment (1975)

Not sure what this means? Get it in simple words, in English and Urdu.

English · authoritative

Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, 1[commission of] or incitement to an offence.

Urdu · official translation (2018)

اسلام کی عظمت یا پاکستان یا اس کے کسی حصہ کی سالمیت ، سلامتی یا دفاع ، غیر ممالک کے ساتھ دوستانہ تعلقات ، امن عامہ ، تہذیب یا اخلاق کے مفاد کے پیش نظر یا تو ہین عدالت ، کسی جرم ⟦۱⟧[ کے ارتکاب ] یا اس کی ترغیب سے متعلق قانون کے ذریعے عائد کردہ مناسب پابندیوں کے تابع ، ہر شہری کو تقریر اور اظہار خیال کی آزادی کا حق ہوگا ، اور پریس کی آزادی ہوگی۔

Machine-transcribed from the official scan; not yet checked word by word.Compare with the scan (page 33)

Amendment notes (1)›
  1. 1Substituted by the Constitution (Fourth Amdt.) Act, 1975 (71 of 1975), section 4, for ‘‘defamation’’ (with effect from the 21st November, 1975).

How to cite

In a petition
Article 19 of the Constitution
With heading
Article 19 of the Constitution (Freedom of speech, etc)
In full
Article 19, Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973

English text as amended up to 21 November 2025 (27th Amendment), published by Ministry of Law and Justice / National Assembly of Pakistan. The English text is authoritative. Official PDF, page 35